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Here’s our TLI for Monday, Feb. 13, 2023:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: JADE BUBKE
Washington-committed MIF Jade Bubke, #21 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Texas Blaze United, creating and sticking to a routine, Alliance Nationals, Bombers Exposure Weekend, Athletics Mercado-Tidd, Washington, Computer Science, Jenna Laird, Kanye West, “The Walking Dead” and puzzles.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Jade Bubke
Hometown: Magnolia, TX
High School: Magnolia High
Club Team: Texas Blaze 18U United
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-5
Position: MIF
Nickname: Bubs
Twitter: @jadebubke28
Honors: National Honor Society; #21 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100; and #15 MIF in the Class of 2024.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: .382 AVG, .442 OBP, .942 OPS and .500 SLG.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I jumped around a bit with different organizations until I came across Texas Blaze, an organization that I have been with for a while now. I finally found the right “family” for me. Each and every coach that I have played for has not only believed in my ability on the field, but also me as a person.
Do you have any suggestions for training methods or apps and why? I relied heavily on my training to show my ability on the field. A huge game changer for me was creating a routine and sticking to it. For example, hitting every single day, studying pitchers and what they like to throw me as an individual, but also what they like to throw in different counts like strikeout pitches and go to pitches, their strengths and weaknesses, and many other small details played a big part into how I became the hitter I am today.
Can you tell us about your experience at Alliance Nationals this past summer? I played Alliance this last summer, placing 5th place. We double-dipped Iowa Premier’s top team to make it into the top 8, which can speak for itself. An amazing experience just because every team you play is good and the talent level is unbelievable, so when you play these kinds of tournaments you not only win solely based on the team’s talents alone, but also how bad each team wants to win and how much trust they put into the people around them.
What was your favorite fall tournament/event and why? Bombers Exposure (Weekend). Many will pick tournaments they did amazing in, but me and my team as a whole didn’t play our best at all. We still managed to find a way to have fun playing the game we love and I think that says a lot about each individual on my team.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? Athletics Mecardo-Tidd. It was my first time playing a big tournament (Alliance) and it was a three-game series. We won the first one, got run ruled the second, and it was a dog fight in the third game and we came out on top. Very tough team with incredible depth.
Can you tell us about your decision to choose to commit to Washington? I went to a Washington camp a week prior to Sept. 1 and I completely fell in love with every little detail. So I didn’t go on a ton of visits and I committed a day after my Washington visit. When I went on that visit, everything felt right. I felt at home. I spent a lot of time with the players currently there and you can just tell how bought into the Wasington program they are. You can tell the coaches believe in every single person they recruit and have on their roster to this day. I felt like Washington was the best place for me academically and sports-wise because in both areas I will be pushed to be the best version of myself I can possibly be.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? Computer Science or an Engineer, competitive field and very successful future.
Who is your sports hero and why? Jenna Laird (currently Mizzou’s shortstop). I love the way she carries herself on the field and in the box.
What’s the best hype song and why? “All Falls Down” by Kanye West. Everyone knows it!!!
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? “The Walking Dead.” Never fails to keep me entertained.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? Puzzles!
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